Plastic stopper and shield for a tap rod fitting for a barrel



May 12, 1959 E. R..GOLL 2,886,203

PLASTIC STOPPER AND SHIELD FOR A TAP ROD FITTING-FOR A BARREL 7 Filed Aug, 1, 1956 III/I/I/I/I/IA IIIIIIIIIIIIII(II/'III1I1 INVENTOR. feds-'57- E. 6044. I

ATfOR/IE x5 PLASTIC STOPPER A'ND SHIELD FOR A TAP ROD FITTING FOR A BARREL Ernest 'R. Goll, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Braun-Goll' 'Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 1, 1956, Serial No. 601,545

8 Claims. (Cl. 220-24) This invention relates to a plastic stopper and shield for a tap rod fitting for a barrel.

The shield not only covers the recess in the fitting to exclude dirt but has a peripheral margin which is extended over the outer face of the fitting which aids in anchoring the label or'stamp fastened to the fitting. The shield is centrally apertured and the stopper has a headed flexible stem receivable into the aperture and adapted to expanding outside of the shield as a means of holding the shield in pressure engagement with the tap rod fitting and label or stamp. v

The stopper has axially spaced peripheral flanges with surfaces at differential anglesto facilitate introduction into the tap opening of the fitting and to provide a succession of seals between the stopper and the fitting. At its inner margin the stopper is not only tapered to facilitate its introduction into the tap rod opening but has a specially formed notch or notches designed to guide the stopper into position. Both by reason of these notches and the form of the inner end of the stopper, and also by reason of the fact that each of the intermediate flanges is provided with a radius, the stopper can be inserted without any tendency for the shearing of material from portions of the stopper. This is important because there have been products for this purpose in which such shearing has occurred and the resulting shavings have penetrated the barrel and tended to obstruct the withdrawal of its contents.

The stopper of the present invention can be made from a number of plastic materials, polyethylene and low pressure polyethylene being preferred. The shield can be made of any one of a number of plastics, polystyrene being preferred.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in cross-section of a fragment of the head of a barrel and the tap fitting thereof, and also showing in section the stopper and shield in position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the stopper and shield in perspective in slightly separated positions.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the stopper and shield in section and in slightly separated positions.

Fig. 4 is a view in axial section through a slightly modified embodiment of the stopper.

It will be understood that the fragmentarily illustrated barrel head 5 and tap fitting 6 are conventional. The tap fitting is welded into the barrel head. It provides a centrally disposed tubular portion at 7 terminating in the tap coupling at 8 and surrounded by a recess 9. Through the tubular central portion 7 of the fitting extends the tap rod opening 10. The fitting 6 has a peripherial flange 11 overlying the ends of the barrel head 5 and welded thereto at 12.

The stopper designated by reference character 15 comprises a resiliently flexible plastic tube 16 having one end closed at 17. From the closed end projects a stem 18 having a slightly enlarged head at 19 spaced from the end wall 17 of the stopper. The interior of the stern may be hollow as best shown at 20 in Fig. 3.

Externally the sleeve 16 is provided with a series of ribs or flanges 21, each of which has a frusto-conical wall 22 of relatively long taper and a more sharply shouldered wall 23 which is at right angles to the axis of the stopper, or nearly so. The difference in angle between the surfaces 22 and 23 of the respective flanges 21 facilitates the introduction of the stopper into the tap fitting opening and tends to resist withdrawal of the stopper from such opening. The length of the stopper is such that the terminal flange 24 at the inner end of the stopper is received beneath the tap fitting in a manner best shown in Fig. 1,

this flange being of slightly greater radius than the other flanges shown and adapted to spring outwardly within the barrel to resist withdrawal of the stopper.

The edges of the ribs 21 and 24 are desirably rounded' on a short radius which has been made to range between th of an inch and .020 inch. Under resilient pressure of the material of the stopper, these rounded edges engage the inner surface of the tap opening 10 to provide a succession of seals which practically preclude pressure loss from a barrel.

Since the fit of the stopper is such that the stopper must be driven into position in the tap fitting 6, special means is provided to facilitate the entry of the stopper into the fitting'and its guidance through the opening 10 thereof. To this end the terminal portion 25 of the stopper has;

one or more notches 26 which extend axially of the stopper through, or substantially through the enlarged terminal flange 24 thereof. Moreover, in the rim portion 25 of the stopper below flange 24, the side walls bordering the notches are desirably beveled as shown at 27.

The notches and the beveled marginal walls facilitate the radial compression of the terminal portion 25 of the stopper as it enters the tap fitting. This feature and the radius given to the peripheries at the respective flanges 21 and 24 enable the stopper to be forced through the fitting without the formation of shavings which might otherwise result from shearing action of the metal fitting upon the plastic material of the stopper.

The device of Fig. 4 shows two separate modifications, either one of which may be incorporated individually in a device otherwise identical with that shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In the device of Fig. 4 the stopper has a. recessed end wall from the lowest portion of which rises the boss 29 on which the stem 18 and head 19 are formed in a manner otherwise identical with the disclosure of Figs. 1 and 3.

The other deviation of Fig. 4 from the stopper shown in Figs. 1 and 3 consists in the provision of a lower rib or flange 240 which is of semi-circular cross section instead of having faces at differential angles.

The stem 18 and head 19 are used to retain the shield 30 in a manner best shown in Fig. l. The length of the stem 18 is approximately equal to the thickness of the shield. The shield is slightly dished to open concavely downwardly, Its central opening 31 is slightly smaller in diameter than the head 19 and substantially matches in diameter the stem or neck 18 of the stopper. Particularly in view of the opening. 20 within the stern and head, it is an easy matter to spring or snap the shield over the head 19 to the position shown in Fig. l, whereupon the head holds the shield under slight cornpression such as to flatten it out with its peripheral marginal surfaces 33 overlapping flange 11 and the top of tap fitting 6.

Desirably, the shield is provided with a positioning rib 34 receivable with a close fit into the outer wall surface of the recess 9 of the tap fitting to constitute a tight closure for the tap fitting recess, thereby to exclude dirt from the recess. The peripheral portion 33 of the shield externally of rib 34 fits over a label Patented May 12, 1959 or stamp 35 applied externally to the tap fitting as shown in Fig. 1.

I do not desire to be limited to the use of any particular plastic or plastics and have stated merely by way of illustration but not by way of limitation the materials of which the stopper and shield are desirably made in practice.

I claim:

1. The combination with a tap rod fitting plug, of a shield of substantially greater radial extent than the plug, said plug having a headed stud of smaller radial extent than the plug and the shield having a complementary aperture engageable over the head of the stud with a pressed fit, the shield comprising elastic material adapted to close upon the stud after passing the head thereof for maintaining the shield in position on the plug.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the shield comprises a concave plastic disk.

3. A plug and shield for a tap fitting having a tap or bore and an anchorage flange and surrounding recess, said plug comprising a peripherally ribbed flexible plastic sleeve with a transverse closure web, a headed stem mounted on said web and projecting axially beyond the sleeve, and a shield having a central aperture diametrically fitting said stern and slightly smaller than the head, the material of the shield being resiliently deformable to pass the head and snap on to said stem.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the shield comprises a plastic disk concave toward saidsleeve.

5. The device of claim 3 in which the sleeve is axially notched at its end remote from said head.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 in which the sleeve has a rib encircling its notched portion and comprising sectors elastically deformable inwardly.

7. The device of claim 5 in which the sleeve has end portions beveled toward the notches in its end beyond said last mentioned rib.

8. The combination set forth in claim 5 in Which the several ribs of the sleeve have substantially abrupt shoulders through headed stem and tapered gradually toward the notched end of the sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,155,811 Tredup Apr. 25, 1939 2,196,785 Takiguchi Apr. 9, 1940 2,577,780 Lockhart Dec. 11, 1951 2,743,834 Williams May 1, 1956 2,657,817 Alvear Nov. 3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 47,389 France Dec. 29, 1936 153,832 Sweden Mar. 20, 1956 167,083 Australia Feb. 24, 1956 527,140 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1940 582,363 Great Britain Nov. 13, 1946 619,793 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1942 

